Strengthening Access, Inclusion, and Belonging for Deaf Students
October 17-19, 2023
Colleges have a responsibility to provide deaf students with opportunities to engage on campus in all facets of the college experience. However, many deaf students face barriers to accessing these opportunities, such as a lack of understanding of what “equitable access” looks like, a belief that providing “the floor and not the ceiling” of accommodations is sufficient, and a long-standing history of decentralized practices that place the onus on different campus departments to accommodate deaf students.
These barriers can have a significant impact on deaf students’ ability to participate in college life. They may miss out on important academic opportunities, such as lectures and discussions, or they may feel isolated and excluded from social activities. In some cases, students choose to drop out of school altogether.
It is time for colleges to take a more proactive approach to ensuring that deaf students have equitable access to all aspects of the college experience.
The National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes (NDC) aims to address these challenges and provide opportunities for campus communities serving deaf students to learn, connect, and transform. We are pleased to announce our 2023 College Equity Conference to Strengthen Access, Inclusion, and Belonging for Deaf Students. This year’s conference will be held virtually on October 17-19, 2023, and is free to attend.
About the Conference
The conference is designed to help disability service professionals, administrators, counselors, service providers, and faculty develop the knowledge and skills they need to create more equitable and inclusive college experiences for deaf students.
- The conference will feature a variety of sessions on topics related to deaf student equity, including:
- Assessing educational risks factors for deaf students due to systemic barriers within the college
- Identifying gaps within systems that impact deaf students
- Recognizing barriers in current policies or procedures and implementing change
- Assessing campus readiness to support deaf students accessing a holistic college experience
- Describing evidence-based practices that support equitable experiences for deaf students
Featured Speakers
The conference will feature a variety of speakers who are experts in the field of deaf student equity, including:
- Dr. Alesia Allen, Assistant Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf;
- Dr. Rezenet Moges-Riedel, Assistant Professor of American Sign Language and Deaf Culture at California State University Long Beach;
- Katherine Vance, Accessibility Director in the Global Diversity & Inclusion Office at Fidelity Investments
- John Macko, Director of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf Co-op and Career Center;
- Dr. Chris Moreland, Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Austin;
- Nicole Genser, Aspiring Audiologist and Researcher;
- Elizabeth Stone, Director of the Office of Ombuds at Gallaudet University;
- Norma Moràn, Associate Ombuds at Gallaudet University;
- And NDC staff
Registration
We encourage you to register today for the 2023 College Equity Conference. This event is a unique opportunity to learn from experts in the field and develop the knowledge and skills to create more equitable and inclusive college experiences for deaf students. Registration is open to everyone.
Access & Accommodations
This event will be held predominantly in American Sign Language. Sign language Interpreters and CART will be available for all sessions. If you would like to request additional accommodations, please email help@nationaldeafcenter.org.
We hope to see you there!
Event Code of Conduct
All are invited to participate as you are, engage with our team, and connect with other participants to learn together. NDC is committed to creating a harassment-free space of learning that welcomes all participants regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, transgender status, age, body type, appearance, sexual orientation, disability, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), veteran or marital status, national origin, or other classification protected by law. You agree to abide by the event code of conduct by attending the event. NDC has a zero-tolerance policy for harassment and expects all event participants to help uphold a positive experience for all. NDC reserves the right to take any necessary and appropriate action, including immediate removal from the event, in response to any incident that violates the expectations mentioned above. NDC also reserves the right to prohibit participation at any future events, virtually or in person.
Participants Are Expected to:
- Conduct themselves in a manner that is considerate, respectful, and professional in their interactions with all present at the event.
- Refrain from disruptive, disrespectful, disparaging, discouraging, discriminatory, or demeaning conduct.
- Inform NDC if you notice any behavior not aligned with the conduct expectation outlined above.
